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Land Rover took to the Delhi Auto Expo with a pair of Defender Concepts, demonstrating a few design possibilities Land Rover could pursue with the next-generation SUV. The company says it intends to launch the vehicle by 2015, which means the automaker has its work cut out for it if it plans to meet that deadline. The concepts feature many of the same attributes that made the original Defender and off-road icon, including dramatically short overhangs front and rear and a near vertical wind screen for increased visibility.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the pair of Defenders, though. After an initial debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Land Rover spruced them up for a North American reveal at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November.

The Defender Concept Twins also come loaded with technology designed to make blazing your own trail all the easier, including a clever sonar-based system that can measure water depth as the vehicle crosses deep creeks and flooded streams. In addition, a new Terrain Response system maps the ground ahead of the vehicle in 3D and suggests alternate routes when the vehicle detects an obstruction. Hit the jump for a quick video on the vehicle as well as the full press release.

Continue reading Land Rover Defender concepts turn red for New Delhi [w/video]

Land Rover Defender concepts turn red for New Delhi [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Land Rover is continuing to explore how to approach the next generation Defender, as evidenced by this updated version of its DC100 Concept that was initially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The latest version features new 20-inch wheels shod with Cooper all-terrain tires and a new Heritage Blue paint scheme with a Candy Weiss roof.

Land Rover Chief Designer Gerry McGovern, who unveiled the new DC100 Concept to the Los Angeles Auto Show crowd, stressed that while the company is serious about building a new Defender, this particular concept may not be representative of the future production version. “The reality is that we’re serious about putting this vehicle into production – not necessarily this design, but a Defender into production,” he tells us. “It’s one of several design studies under consideration at the moment.”

It’s apparent that McGovern’s design team at Land Rover has struggled wrestling with rendering a modern day Defender that doesn’t abandon the model’s loyal followers. “Should it be evolutionary or should it be revolutionary? How much of the design cues based on the original functionality are relevant in a modern context? For us we feel it’s important to recognize our past but not be harnessed by it. The retro trap is one we have to be very careful of. If you’re too retrospective it can be a kiss of death.”

Continue reading past the jump.

Continue reading Land Rover unveils updated DC100 Concept

Land Rover unveils updated DC100 Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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